


7teen: From the Runway with Love

by Jupiter_Queen



Series: 7teen, Season 1 [3]
Category: 6teen
Genre: F/M, Gen, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 17:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16202012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jupiter_Queen/pseuds/Jupiter_Queen
Summary: Episode 3: Caitlin enters a modeling competition, but the stakes are raised high when Tricia makes a bet out of it. On the other hand, when Nikki and Jonesy are finally ready to say those three little words to each other, they can't seem to get the timing just right.





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published on Fanfiction.Net in 2013. Rewritten in 2015.

If the gang wasn't at The Big Squeeze first thing in the morning, then they were probably at the game shop with Jude before he opened it for the day. Being somewhere that didn't have a giant, blindingly yellow lemon was refreshing and made for better conversation.

"Guess who got a job at Amp Me Up?" Jonesy said. "Hint: It's yours truly."

Wyatt's eyes lit up with excitement. "Isn't that the new instrument store on the third floor?"

"Yep. It's got a crapload of stuff there, too."

"Mind if I stop by later?" Jude asked. "Music stores are pretty chill. Plus I want another pair of bongos." According to him, they were "the thinking man's drums."

"I don't mind; knock yourself out," Jonesy said.

"Sweeeet."

The conversation soon took a left turn when Jonesy mentioned something about a party he'd attended the previous night and the rest of the gang exchanged comments about it.

During this time, Jen glanced over at Sydni, who'd been staring at the gang while they talked without saying a word herself. Maybe she, being around a group of people who'd known each other since the beginning of time, felt awkward and possibly out of place.

 _We invited her to hang out with us; it's only right to make her feel welcome_. When the conversation died down, Jen asked, "So, Sydni, how are things going at the Khaki Barn?"

"It's not so bad," she said. "I guess I could get used to life at the 'Gag Me' Barn."

"'Gag Me' Barn? Nice one, Bambi," Nikki said, her voice lacking its trademark sarcastic bite. "I just might steal that one from you."

Sydni couldn't hide her goofy grin, even moments later when Jude's phone rang.

"Hello?… Oh hey, bra… Yeah, I'll let you in. Gimme a sec."

He walked to the store's security screen. As soon as he pried it open, Caitlin came running and squealing towards her friends.

Everyone covered their ears and made pained faces.

"Is she always like this?" Sydni asked Wyatt.

"Yeah, but she's not always this intense. Something must be up," he replied.

"Caitlin, I don't mean to be rude," Nikki said, "but why the hell are you this happy at  _nine in the morning_?" She regained her bite.

"Remember when I talked about that A&F modeling competition?" Caitlin asked. She'd noticed the ad for it in one of her favorite fashion magazines just as school had let out for the summer and, after buying some new clothes with Sydni a week ago, entered it.

Her friends nodded.

"I got accepted as a finalist! Can you believe it?" She hopped around. "This is  _so major_. If I win, I'll be featured in local ads  _and_  the store's fall catalogue! Ohmygosh!"

Jen's smile was broad and warm. "That sounds like a great opportunity. Congratulations, Cait."

"Thanks, Jen!"

Jonesy stroked his chin. "There's gotta be more to this, right? The prize can't just be a few ads."

Caitlin grinned. He was clever, figuring she'd save the best detail for last. "Okay, okay—you've got me. The cherry on top is fifteen thousand dollars!"

"F-F-Fifteen grand?" he stuttered. He quickly regained his composure and cozied up to her, saying, "You know, a pretty girl like you should have her own agent and—what a coincidence!—I'm available. With pay, of course."

She giggled. "Nice try, Jonesy. You're not getting all of my money if I win."

"Hey, I'm not asking for  _all_  of it, princess. Just  _some_  of it."

"So what do you have to for the finals?" Jen asked.

"Well, I have to model on a runway this Friday, and I really need to nail  _everything_ ," Caitlin said.

"No problem. We'll help train you so you can win it all."

Nikki raised an eyebrow. "Um, what's with this  _we_  thing?"

"Well, if you guys help me win, I'll split the prize money with you guys," Caitlin said.

"I'm in," Nikki said in a heartbeat. The gang stared at her, questioning her instant change of heart. She crossed her arms. "Traveling money."

"Maybe we can practice at the Khaki Barn today, only if it's okay with you two," Jen said to Nikki and Sydni.

"I'm fine with it. It's not really my call to make," Sydni said.

Nikki honestly didn't care. "You guys know I don't do much work there anyways."

Before the girls could carry on, Jonesy took Nikki by the hand and pulled her aside.

"Hey, babe, you down to hang out tonight?" he asked. He hoped she'd say yes, because he had big plans in store—plans that involved telling her he loved her. He knew his summer of  _la dolce vita_  wouldn't start until he confessed how he felt, as cheesy as it sounded.

"Yes, Jonesy, I'm"—in air-quotes—"'down to hang.' Any idea where you want me?"

"No clue, although the thought of you on me doesn't sound so bad." He wagged his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Subtle."

"Subtle's my middle name, baby."

"Actually, it's Ric—"

"The facts don't matter, Nik. All that matters is I wanna be with you tonight. We'll figure out where we wanna go when the time comes."

She flashed him a smile. "I can live with that."

"Nice."

After grinning and gazing at her for a moment, Jonesy leaned towards Nikki. His lips barely brushed hers when Caitlin blindly pulled her away, shouting, "Let's go! We have fifteen grand at stake!"

Once all the girls were gone, he sighed. "So close."


	2. Beaches and Oceans for My Baby

"It's always important to stay focused. Never give anyone the upper hand by letting your guard down, either," Jen told Caitlin.

The girls—mainly Jen and Sydni, with Nikki giving sarcastic encouragement—had been giving Caitlin advice for the past half-hour regarding the competition. Jen was no stranger to competition, having played sports all her life, and found it best to advise Caitlin like she was preparing for a big game, the match of her life perhaps.

Though she didn't need to know everything about the world of competitive modeling, having participated in beauty pageants as a little girl, Caitlin nodded. "By the way, I heard that the judges will rank us on how well we model and how stylish we are.

"Which is why you're gonna look great on Friday," Sydni said, offering a tiny smile.

"Oh, of course!" She bit her lip as she thought for a moment. "Maybe you guys can come over my house tonight and help me pick out some outfits! I need multiple opinions."

"Sure, I don't mind," Jen said.

Sydni nodded in agreement.

Nikki couldn't respond right away, since Jonesy was the first thing on her mind. He wanted to go out with her tonight and he seemed so sincere about it. But if Caitlin won the competition and Nikki helped with that success, she'd have traveling money to show for it.  _Shit, I have to cancel. I'm sure Jonesy'll understand. Probably._

"Fine, I'm in," Nikki said after a moment of Caitlin making puppy-dog eyes at her.

"Hooray!" Caitlin said. "Maybe you guys can come over around six or something? I swear you won't be at my house forever. Just for an hour or two."

"Sounds fine to me," Jen replied. Back to giving Caitlin tips on what to do throughout the week, she said, "Make sure you take it easy on the junk food this week. We don't want you feeling tired and out of shape on Friday."

"Oh, I already know. I definitely don't want to be bloated or anything," Caitlin responded.

Nikki huffed.  _It's gonna be a long day. Or week_.

* * *

"Jonesy, where are you taking me?" Nikki asked.

"Somewhere special, babe. Just trust me," he said.

She would roll her eyes if he wasn't covering them and guiding her down this beach. Even if she didn't know the specifics, she only knew where they were because she saw the sparkling water kissing the sand as they pulled in the parking lot.

Moments later, she said, "I'm getting sand in my shoes; this better be good."

"You love nagging me, don't you?" He was unable to fight a smirk; he both hated and loved her bite. She was a spitfire, and for some reason she'd chosen to be  _his_  spitfire. "We're almost there."

"Okay."

He removed his hands from her eyes, revealing a picturesque beach scene, endlessly seen on postcards and in dreams but never seen in person. The sky had turned orange as the sun began its descent, but it only served as the backdrop to what was in front of Nikki: a picnic date on a secluded part of the beach.

He grabbed a purple rose sitting atop a picnic basket and put it in her hair. "I know it's not my style, but I wanted to show you that you matter."

Her cheeks flushed. He'd rendered her speechless for once. When she regained her voice, she said, "You did all this for me?"

"Of course, Nik." This was it. This was the right goddamn moment. Riding on adrenaline, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, very aware of his bare chest pressing against her bikini-clad one. "I love you, babe."

She grinned. "I love you too, Jonesy."

He leaned over and stole a lingering kiss, savoring every moment of it.

Once they parted, she gazed at him and said, "Jonesy."

He took a step back, startled. That wasn't her voice.

"Jonesy!"

It sounded like—

"Dude, you awake?" Jude asked, waving his hands in front of Jonesy's eyes.

Once Jonesy realized he had been making out with the air at work, his eyes widened and he fell behind the counter, hitting the carpet with a thud. After getting back onto his feet, he tried to play it off. "And I guess that's how gravity works. The ground totally broke my fall," he said nonchalantly while brushing away some lint clinging to his shirt.

His cover-up still didn't save him from being laughed at by Jude and Wyatt. He shot them an unamused look.

Once Wyatt stopped laughing, he asked, "Let me guess: You were daydreaming about Nikki, weren't you?"

"I don't daydream, bro," he denied, crossing his arms.

Wyatt smirked. "Mmhmm."

Jonesy rolled his eyes. Moments later, he caved. "How'd you know?"

"Well, you've never really daydreamed about anything, so—if you did—it'd either be about money or Nikki. Plus, I did the same thing all the time when I thought I loved Serena."

Jonesy blinked once. "So Jude  _didn't_  tell you how I feel about Nikki?" He thought Jude had already blabbed about him being in love with her. After all, he wasn't exactly the best with securing secrets.

He shook his head. "He didn't need to. I could tell by looking at you." While he walked around to check out the different guitars and amps in shop, Jude stood on the other side of the counter that Jonesy manned.

Jonesy exhaled. "Man, I've really got it bad for her."

"So when are you gonna tell her?" Jude wondered as he made his way to the cash register with a pair of bongos.

"I was kinda hoping to tell her tonight."

"Sweet." He fell into one of his motivational-speech-giving moods, hoping to get some concepts off his brain. "Love's pretty interesting. Say you're into this really smokin' chick and she's into you, then one day you just have these new feelings for her and you're in love. That's the day you realize that you accept her for both the good things about her and the bad. Then you just drive off into the sunset and live happily ever after."

Wyatt, now back at the counter with the guys and holding an acoustic guitar, was curious as to how Jude knew so much about love. "You're in love with Starr, aren't you?"

Jude adopted a sloppy grin. "Probably. She's the best Betty I've ever known."

Checking the time on his phone, Jonesy decided to take his break. "Thanks for the talk, dudes, but it's almost noon. I'm gonna go find Nikki. Later," he announced before walking off.

Wyatt figured Jude's speech inspired him to say what needed to be said.

* * *

A half-hour after Jen and Caitlin had left, Nikki had curled up in her favorite changing stall, leaning against a small pile of clothes. Not only did she get to hide from the Clones, but she also got an opportunity to relax, killing two birds with one stone.

She reveled in the peace and quiet, being alone with her thoughts for once today.

And then someone knocked on the door.

_Please don't tell me they found me. Please don't tell me they found me_ , she pleaded, hoping it would make a difference. Another knock sounded.  _Shit._

"C'mon, Nikki, you wouldn't leave your boyfriend alone out here, would you?"

Her lips curled into a smile. She stood up and unlocked the stall door, letting Jonesy in.

"Hey," she said after sitting against the clothes pile again.

"Hey, babe." He sat beside her. "I see you got rid of Jen and Caitlin."

"Surprisingly enough, they left on their own," Nikki said. She didn't meet his eyes, preparing to rip off a bandaid. "Listen, I don't think we can go out tonight. Caitlin wants me and the girls to come over her house to help with some things."

His eyes dropped. "Oh, okay. That's fine and stuff. Maybe some other time, I guess."

He was quick to show it and probably swift to deny it if asked, but she could see the disappointment in his eyes. "I actually want to be there for Caitlin this time around. Plus if she wins, I'll get some traveling money. Not saying that's the only reason I want to be there for her, but you understand, right?"

"I do. Besides, you know I'm not one to turn down money. Hell, I'll turn  _up_  for it." He laughed, causing her to do so as well.

"Yeah, you're obsessed with cash. You're its little bitch so often that I think  _that's_  your girlfriend." She snorted.

"I'm pretty sure you own that role."

She met his eyes, grinning. "You flatter me, Garcia."

"Always." The two of them fell silent, but the absence of words was deafening. Jonesy gazed at her as he leaned towards her. Their lips brushed against each others and he said, "Nikki, I—"

Furious knocking shattered the moment. "Nikki!"

"Shit," she muttered, getting up to open the stall door, ready to be scolded by Chrissy.

"Nikki, stop acting like you don't have any work to do, because there are tank tops that need to be folded  _now_ ," Chrissy hissed, oblivious to Jonesy hiding in the stall.

"Ugh, fine." Nikki scowled on her way out the stall; she joined Sydni at one of the display tables, folding the tank tops that "so desperately needed to be."

Once Chrissy ironically walked inside the employee lounge, Jonesy decided to make his way out, but not before smiling and winking at Nikki. "Later," he said.

Nikki grinned and waved at him.

Sydni looked at the two of them and smiled before folding tank tops again. She glanced at Nikki as she sloppily threw the clothing around, the grin on her face having remained minutes after Jonesy left. She definitely knew what this was. She just didn't know how to bring it up.

"Hmm…" Sydni mumbled as she thought about it.

"What?" Nikki asked.

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing."

"Doesn't sound like nothing," she teased.

"It is. I'll just leave it alone."

"Something's obviously on your mind. Just come out and say it."

She placed another tank top in her neat column. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not…" Living in denial was difficult, even for her. "Okay, I  _am_. How'd you know?"

"Well, you get really excited and stuff when you see him. Like, your eyes light up and you seem  _happier_." A hint of a smile appeared. "I know I was the same way with my…  _ex_ -boyfriend. It's that feeling of ease you get when someone you love is around."

Nikki hesitated, only speaking after a pause. "I see everyone knows how I feel at this point."

"Everyone except for him, I'm assuming."

"I'm going to tell him; I just need the right moment."

"Do it when you feel it's right, when… when you feel like nothing can stop you. No cheesiness intended."

"Despite that totally being cheesy,"—she chuckled—"thanks, Bambi." She sent Sydni a warm look.

"Anytime, Nikki."

* * *

Trotting up Caitlin's walkway was like walking up  _The Wizard of Oz_ 's winding, yellow-brick road—only the walkway leading to her mansion was grey-stoned.

Jen, Nikki, and an awestruck Sydni walked to the French-styled front doors.

As Jen rang the doorbell, Sydni couldn't help but gape at the land surrounding her. "This is amazing," she said under her breath.

Caitlin's parents could obviously afford the best landscapers in existence—the grass was well-manicured, the flowers were vibrant and neatly arranged, and the bushes were orderly and sculpted into shapes. There was even a  _fountain_  in the centre of the walkway (which the gang always had to walk around when they visited).

"Isn't it?" Jen asked Sydni. "Nik, is it possible that Caitlin's house got better since the last time we were here?"

Nikki shrugged.

Caitlin opened the door, wearing a royal-blue dress and carrying matching heels. It was a look that suited both her and her regal home.

Jen looked her up and down, saying, "I see someone started picking out stuff without us."

"Sorry about that. I just got really excited and thought this dress looked so fabulous with these heels, which is why—"

"Calm down, Barbie." Nikki chuckled. "Jen was only joking. Now are you gonna invite us in or what?"

"Oh, right." Her red cheeks greatly contrasted her pasty skin; she almost forgot to do what she'd invited them over for in the first place.

They all stepped inside, walking up a winding, grand staircase and down a long hallway to get to Caitlin's bedroom. As soon as they entered her room, they were greeted by a faint pomegranate fragrance and some pop song. Typical Caitlin.

"Is this the Spice Girls? Holy hell, I  _love_  the Spice Girls," Sydni said with a grin plastered on her face.

"Of course! Oh my God, they're such pop  _icons_." Caitlin pretended to faint.

"I know right? They were so amazing. They put such a great spin on bubblegum pop."

Nikki looked at them with faux disgust. "Who are you two and what have you done with my friends?"

Caitlin giggled. "Don't act like you don't have a pop obsession, Mrs. Jason Wolfe."

"Jason Wolfe?" Sydni asked. "As in the guy from DawgToy?"

She nodded. "Nikki is totally in love with him and the  _rest_  of DawgToy."

"I never pegged you as a DawgToy fan, Nikki."

A blush crept upon her face. "That's because I'm a  _closet_  fan. Jen and Caitlin already knew this, but, since you didn't, if this ever makes it outside this room, I'm afraid I have to kill all of you in your sleep."

Sydni made a quick zipper motion across her lips. They were sealed.

"So, since I got caught up in putting outfits together before you guys came, how do you like what I have on?" Besides being royal blue, the dress was bustier-styled with a cinched waist. She twirled around in it as their faces went blank.

No immediate response.

She frowned. "I can't be wearing a dress  _that_  ugly, can I?" Their hesitance left her with unease.

"Don't get me wrong, Cait," Jen said, "it's cute, but I just don't think it looks right for the occasion."

Nikki and Sydni nodded in agreement.

"Oh, okay," Caitlin said with a disappointed expression.

"What about the other clothes you picked out?" Sydni asked. "I'm sure it's not the end of the world if we don't really like one outfit."

A smile emerged. "Oh yeah! I  _did_  pick out a couple more things!" she exclaimed, rushing to her closet.

Nikki rolled her eyes as the ghost of a grin showed up. Caitlin had her fair share of overdramatic moments.

Once she came back from her closet with a storm of outfits—cleverly disguised as only a "couple"—the other girls knew that this process would take a while.

Caitlin finally finished showing the girls her outfits shortly after midnight. They had (wearily) decided on a stunning, showstopping, and sophistocated silver dress which only accentuated Caitlin's beauty. The girls all loved it and agreed on it because if they looked at another dress, they felt as if they were going to  _die_.

Jen, with Caitlin's permission, crawled onto her bed and took a nap. Sydni occupied the stool in front of Caitlin's vanity, listening to music to keep herself occupied. Surprisingly, Nikki was wide awake, even though she'd almost nodded off a few times before. She needed to discuss an issue with Caitlin, wanting to wait until Jen and Sydni were occupied to do so. This time was as good as any other.

Nikki strolled into Caitlin's walk-in closet to find her hanging up the rejected outfits.

"Hey, Caitlin," she said, grabbing her friend's attention.

She turned around and, registering that Nikki wouldn't make eye contact, asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, per se. I just… need help with something." She continued to avoid Caitlin's eyes. Swallowing her pride in hopes of asking Caitlin for advice was difficult, but something she felt obligated to do.

"With what?" She couldn't help being taken aback that Nikki would come to her for help. Sure, they were close friends— _best_  friends in her mind—but she knew that Nikki would rather go to Jen or Wyatt for help.

She paused, hesitating and hovering over the words she wanted to say before speaking. "I'm seriously in love with Jonesy and I want to sort some things out before I tell him."

She had no idea that she just said the most unexpected thing  _ever_. Caitlin couldn't help bursting at the seams with joy. "I totally knew it! You two have been looking at each other a certain way lately, with such a glow in your eyes." She swooned. "I mean, how could I  _not_  know?"

"So, any advice?" Nikki asked, trying to remain as patient as possible.

"Sure! Just let me find last month's issue of  _Teen Pulse_  and we'll get started." With a cheerful bounce in her step, she rushed off to find the magazine.

Nikki exhaled.  _I hope I don't regret this_.

Caitlin, strutting inside her closet once more, said, "I found the right magazine for the job." She flipped through the pages until she found what she wanted. "Now let's get started."

Nikki crossed her arms. "You're not seriously testing me with some teen magazine, are you?"

Caitlin maintained a sweet tone. "Do you want to know if you're in love?"

"Caitlin, I  _already_  know. I just want help in  _telling_  him I'm in love."

"Oh." Her eyes dropped the floor and her shoulders slumped. "Okay then."

Nikki's conscience ate at her; she didn't plan on making Caitlin sad. "Ask me the stupid questions."

She immediately burst with joy. "Yay! Okay, all of the questions are multiple choice, but just answer them freely. Be as open as you want to be!"

"Will do, doc."

Ignoring her remark, she asked, "Question one:  _Does he make you feel more confident in yourself?_ "

"Yeah, he does. I feel like he believes in what I have to say; even if it doesn't always pertain to hockey, he still seems to care—either that or he pretends to listen very well. He's quick to let me know that I'm a pain in his ass, but tells me to never change for anyone, not even for him."

"Aww, Nikki, that's so sweet."

"Yeah, yeah, get on with the questions."

"Do you get jealous when he's around other girls?"

"Depends on who he's with and what they're doing. If he's trying to be a wannabe Casanova, then we're gonna have an issue."

"I see. Next question: Do you find yourself missing him when he's not around?"

"Of course I do. I miss him like hell sometimes. And even when I'm not missing him a lot, he's still at the back of my mind."

After asking several more questions, Caitlin tallied up Nikki's quiz score. She jumped up and down when reading the result. "It says,  _'You are head-over-heels in love with your boyfriend!'_ "

"Wow, this magazine totally helped with my relationship," Nikki deadpanned, punctuating her statement with a snort.

"I know you were being sarcastic and all, but I hope I really helped."

She exhaled, admitting defeat. "Fine. Maybe you actually helped me learn something."

"Yay!" She then said, "Wait, you wanted advice on telling him how you feel, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then tell him when the time is right, when you feel like nothing can get in your way. I'm sure he'll feel the same way and he'll appreciate hearing your feelings from you."

Nikki grinned a little. "Thanks, Caitlin. I know I don't say this often enough—and I won't—but you're a really great friend."

She couldn't resist running to Nikki with open arms, pulling her into a tight embrace. "That means so much to me, Nikki! I'm always here for you, no doubt about it."

Wide-eyed and ambushed by affection, Nikki said, "Just this once, can you not be here for me? You're hurting my back."

"Oops," she said as she let go. "Sorry."

"It's alright. You know, you're strong for a size zero."

"So I've been told."

 


	3. Introducing Miss Shellfish Beach

"Whoa!" Caitlin said, marveling at the room surrounding her.

She gaped at the fashion competition's venue. It used to be a dilapidated, abandoned warehouse, at least until it was purchased by a business mogul who'd renovated it into a place which could be rented out for different events, the Albatross and Finch contest being no exception.

"I've got to admit it: This place is pretty nice," Nikki said.

"Nice? It's wonderful! Just  _look_  at that runway!" Caitlin interjected, pointing at the runway which stood at her height. "It's heaven."

"Hey, Cait," Jen interrupted, "how many finalists are there supposed to be?"

"There's supposed to be nine of us total. I heard three people will get eliminated per round so that three girls will compete in the final round."

"And you'll definitely be one of them," Sydni said.

"Aww, thanks!"

Friday was the day of the competition, but today was the day to meet and greet the girls Caitlin was up against. She was sure they would be nothing but friendly and competitive spirits.

As the eight other finalists and their friends poured in, Caitlin made sure to meet each one of them. Not only were they nice, but they were all so stunning—some of them possessing olive skin, some of them being warm and sun-kissed, and some being as pale as white linen. She shook their hands and gave them sincere smiles, exchanging remarks of how fun this contest would be and how great it was to be alongside girls like them.

Her high hopes took an icy plunge, however, when she met the last finalist.

"Tricia? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Same reason as you, unfortunately. I'm here for my career breakthrough as a model. It's a shame they let such poor girls like you in here."

Nikki balled her fists. "It's a shame they let  _bit—_ "

"You might as well save it," Mandy said, "and admit that Tricia is gonna beat everybody here—even Caitlin."

"Yeah, right!" Jen shouted, walking towards Tricia and her squad. "Caitlin can pose circles around Tricia any day, even in her sleep."

Tricia smiled a wicked cheshire grin. "I'm intrigued—is that a  _bet_? If so, how about we settle this on Friday?"

Jen found herself devoid of words, especially when staring at Caitlin, begging for a response with her eyes.

 _I can't take up a bet with Trici_ _a… c_ _an I?_  Caitlin wondered.

"What's wrong, Lemon Head?" Heather instigated. "Cat got your tongue?"

Caitlin's eyes narrowed, revealing long-overdue frustration. Ignoring Heather, she raised her voice, saying, "You know what, Tricia? You're so on!"

"Alright, but let's raise the stakes, shall we?" Tricia asked, allowing her bravado to consume her. "If I win, you have to wait on me hand and foot for a week and be happy about it."

Choosing her words carefully after a moment of silence, Caitlin said, "And if I win, you have to take over my shifts at The Lemon for a week, lemon hat and all."

Tricia glared at her from head to toe before agreeing. "Deal. May the best person win, Cait, though I'm pretty sure that's me."

Nikki scowled. "Only in your dreams, Tricia."

Tricia shot her and the rest of the gang a cross look before strutting away with her friends.

After a few moments, Wyatt gulped and broke the lingering silence. "Well, that was intense."

"No kidding," Jonesy agreed, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

Jen's face adopted a remorseful expression as she looked at Caitlin. "I hope you're not mad at me for getting you into a bet with Tricia. I didn't mean to."

"It's okay, Jen. I just have to work a little harder now that I'm going up against her," Caitlin said.

Though hesitant, she nodded in agreement.

* * *

"What the hell did I just  _do_?" Tricia asked, her voice filled with dread. She strutted around in circles as she absorbed what she'd gotten herself into. "I can't work at that lemonade stand for an entire week. That's social suicide! Now I definitely can't afford to lose to Caitlin on Friday."

Despite her unfaltering bravado, despite her pride, maybe the only reason she didn't want to lose was because Caitlin may have been slightly better than her.

Heather smirked. "And you won't  _have_  to work there."

Tricia stared at her best friend. "How?"

"A little hell-raising, that's how. Everyone dropped off their clothes and makeup for Friday, right?"

She hesitated in her response, trying to see where Heather was going with this. "Yeah."

"So we're going to hit Caitlin and everybody else where it hurts: their style. They won't even know what hit them."

Her eyes narrowed and her frown became a simper. Her qualms simply vanished, evaporated. "Have I ever told you that you're very clever?"

"Nope, but there's a first time for everything."

Now it was time for them to set their plans in motion.

* * *

"Where's my makeup? I  _need_  my makeup! I can't go up there without any eyeshadow!" one girl shouted.

"Who took my flat iron? My hair is going to look like a sheep's ass if it's not done!" yelled another.

"Will someone help me find my dresses? They're limited edition," another panicked.

The Friday of the competition was an utter mess, with girls and their friends scrambling to find what was missing  _fifteen minutes before showtime_.

Caitlin could not escape the chaos surrounding her, even when her own items turned up missing, but—with her oversized purse over her shoulder—she remained level. This wasn't her first rodeo… or beauty competition, rather.

"How come you're not freaking out like the others? Some of your stuff is missing!" Jen asked as she gaped at the frantic girls running through the halls. While the boys were sitting in the audience, she, Nikki, and Sydni had walked backstage together to give Caitlin moral support when they found the contestants in this state of disarray.

"I know that, but, when Tricia's involved in anything, something is bound to go wrong. Remember that red dress I showed you guys the other night?"

Though all the dresses Caitlin had shown the girls started to look the same in Jen's head, she recalled that one, having regarded it as a slinky yet outside-of-the-box number. It was a close second to the silver dress which had now gone missing.

"Yeah, I remember that dress," Jen said as the other girls nodded.

"That's my backup dress. I always have a plan B."

Nikki grinned. "Clever thinking."

"Thanks," Caitlin said.

Jen glanced at the time on her phone and exclaimed, "You should get your dress on, Caitlin. The first round's about to start!"

Caitlin nodded, walking off to the dressing room as the girls left to meet up with the boys. They found the guys sitting in a row very close to the runway, having saved seats for them.

After taking her seat, Sydni noted, "It feels like we're at an actual fashion show."

"It does," Jen agreed. Under her breath, she said, "I just hope Caitlin wins the whole thing."

The lights promptly went dim and the host sauntered onto the middle of the runway.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Albatross and Finch's fifth-annual model search. I'm your host, Jeff Howe, and these are our lovely judges." The suit-clad man pointed to the three people who were sitting at a panel opposite the stage. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get on to round one!" He stepped off the stage to give the potential models some room to walk the stage. "Now here's our first contestant, Denise Kyle. Look at the way she owns that runway with that  _strut_. This doesn't look like her first time modeling that's for su—"

As she neared the end of the runway, she hit the floor with a loud thud.

The host walked onto the stage again, rushing to see if she was okay before falling himself. To everyone's dismay, the mic suffered irritating feedback as he picked it up.

"That's peculiar," he noted. He skimmed a finger against the runway floor, examining what caused both of them take a spill. "This feels like some sort of... body oil." How he could figure that out so quickly, no one wanted to guess, or  _know_  for that matter.

The confused audience and contestants alike looked amongst each other, whispering about what was going on and who would even do such a thing.

The gang, on the other hand, drew some of their own conclusions regarding the confusion.

Jen, looking at her five friends, said, "Anyone thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking Tricia was behind this, then we're on the same page," Nikki said.

She nodded. "Then I think it's our cue to leave."

Quietly, the gang left their seats and sneaked backstage to concoct a plan.


	4. Welcome to the Good Life

"So, what exactly are we going to do about Tricia?" Jen asked. No one said anything worthwhile in the five minutes they'd spent backstage thus far, which annoyed her. "We can't just go about this without an idea."

"How about we just tell the judges what's going on? I mean, we've got our suspicions for a reason, don't we?" Wyatt suggested.

"Wyatt, Wyatt, Wyatt." Jonesy shook his head. "Poor, naïve Wyatt—always wanting the easy way out. You gotta have  _proof_  of stuff, man."

"I hate to say this, but Jonesy's got a point," Nikki found herself saying.

"See, I rest my case," he said with a smug expression upon his face.

Despite Sydni's reassuring pat on the shoulder, Wyatt remained sheepish.

"Well, if we're going to go hunting for evidence, then we should split up." Jen found herself repeating the other day's events, what with the gang splitting up to find out what Wyatt was up to. Though it was usually easy for her to outburst how she felt about a situation, she wouldn't dare tell Wyatt that she—and the others—were suspicious of him. Her lips were sealed in that regard. "Jonesy and Nikki, search through the security cameras to see if there's anything there; hopefully, whoever's sabotaging the contest wasn't smart enough to hide themselves. Jude and Wyatt, check for anything the culprits left behind. Sydni and I will see if we can interrogate Heather and the other girls. When we're done, we'll meet back here. Got it?"

Her friends nodded.

"Good. Let's go."

* * *

"I figured since they're nowhere to be seen, Heather and the others have got to be back here somewhere," Jen said.

"I definitely get your logic," Sydni said. "I just hope we can find them."

"We will."

Sydni peeped in rooms on one side of the hallway while Jen peeped on the other side, knowing any of the girls had to be in one of them.

"Nope… nope… nothing…" she said as she closed each door, finding nothing to support her claim. There weren't many rooms designated for the contestants to begin with, but it was disappointing nonetheless. "Did you find anything?" she asked Sydni after finding her on the other side of the hall.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

"Crap. I wonder how the others are doing."

* * *

Jude and Wyatt wandered about the small technical side of the backstage area, Wyatt finding himself fascinated by all the audio and lighting equipment. (He was, as Jonesy called him, "an A/V club nerd" at some point in his life.)

Jude blankly stared at all the technology before him, completely oblivious to Wyatt geeking out. He only budged when he nearly stumbled over an object.

"Whoa!" he said as he caught himself.

Wyatt turned around. "What's wrong?"

"Almost tripped over something." He picked it up, saying, "Hey, it's just hairspray."

"Hairspray?" he asked, looking at the ground. "That's odd." Sensing more to this story, he walked around a light board to find a stash of beauty products and clothes. "Jude, look at this!"

Jude followed Wyatt's command and walked over, drawing in a sharp breath. "Dude, that's all the chicks' stuff!"

"We have to show the gang this; they won't believe it!" Wyatt said.

Jude scratched his head. "You mean they won't believe it either way?"

"No, Jude, I'm saying that this'll shock them."

"Ohhhh. Well, let's grab as much as we can."

"Already on it."

* * *

 _These security guards are doing really crappy at their job_ , Jonesy thought, since he and Nikki were easily able to slip past the event's security detail.  _They might as well hire_ me _._ He chucked at the thought.

He walked through a room filled with monitors and other security equipment in the warehouse, items which he lovingly called "what's-its-names" and "thingamabobs."

As he eyed a flash drive perched upon a table, he spun around when he heard a noise.

"Come on," he heard someone whisper.

He saw Nikki's hand motioning towards her hiding spot under a desk and he quickly ran with the flash drive in hand, crouching beside her.

When the door opened, he put his arm around Nikki, keeping her close and safe. Long after the door closed and whoever was there—probably one of those two lazy security guards—left, he still kept his hold on her, warming her in his embrace. Her skin couldn't help but flush pink.

"You know we can start our search now," she said after clearing her throat.

He quickly let her go. "Sorry."

"Oh, it's fine."

As soon as they made their way to the cameras, in search of any incriminating evidence, the host's voice could be heard.

"Round three will be starting in a few moments. Our final three contestants, Natalia Andrews, Caitlin Cooke, and Tricia Holmes will show us what they've got!"

"Shit," they both muttered.

"We've gotta hurry up!" Jonesy said as he eyed her with concern.

"No shit, Sherlock. What made you think  _that_?"

He narrowed his eyes. "It's just like you know how to push my buttons." His glare turned into a gaze as he recalled his beach-scene daydream. "But maybe that's not always a bad thing."

She quickly averted her eyes and cleared her throat once more. The room's temperature spiked. "I feel like this is a conversation for another time. Right now we've got to help Caitlin."

"I guess you're right," he admitted as he searched through the footage. His eyes lingered on her once more. "But maybe we can continue what we started"—she stared—"okay, continue what  _I_  started during a movie at my place."

Having known him for so long, Nikki knew that he wouldn't give up until she told him the magic word:  _sure_. She said what he longed to hear, prompting him to jump up and do his dumb-ass victory dance. Luckily, it was the shortened version. She merely laughed.

"You know you love it when I dance for you, babe," he said as he took his seat.

She snorted. "Love or detest?"

After moments of silence and concentration, she made a breakthrough. "Aha!"

"What is it?" he asked.

She simply pointed to the one of the screens, which displayed Mandy pouring a bottle of, oddly enough, clear body oil on the mid- and end-sections of the runway, explaining why no one could see anything on stage and yet that one girl and the host still fell.

Both Jonesy and Nikki's attention latched onto a recent video of Gwen walking out of Caitlin's dressing room with a pair of shoes and back in with the same pair minutes later.

"Whatever she did, I don't think it's good," Jonesy said.

"Agreed," Nikki said.

"We've got to find the others  _fast_."

"But what about the footage we found?" she asked; any form of physical evidence would be greatly appreciated.

He pulled his souvenir out of his pocket, waving the flash drive he found in the air. "I already got that covered."

"You're not too bad, Garcia."

"I know, and you're not too bad yourself."

Cocky smile?  _Check_.

* * *

Jen restlessly tapped her foot, waiting for the other four to meet up with her and Sydni where they agreed to meet.

"They should've been here by now, right?" she asked.

"I don't know, but let's just hope they had better luck than us," Sydni said, her eyes diverting to the smooth black floor.

Moments later, a "hello" greeted Jen's ears. She looked ahead and found her stepbrother walking towards her with Nikki in tow.

"Hey," Jen said. "Did you guys find anything?"

Jonesy shook his head in an attempt to mess with hers. He smirked when seeing the fear spread across her face. "We only found this," he said, holding his flash drive in the air.

Her eyes narrowed. "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a flash drive with  _proof_  of Mandy throwing oil on stage before the show started." Jonesy flashed a smile.

Jen sighed in bittersweet relief. "You need to stop playing with me like that."

He feigned sadness. "Aw, but it's so fun."

"So, did you guys manage to find the freak squad?" Nikki asked.

Relief made its exit. Jen threw her hands in the air, shouting, "No! We couldn't find  _anyone_!"

"Sorry to hear that," Wyatt said as he and Jude strolled towards the rest of the group.

Jen gaped at the heap of objects Jude carried. "What's all that?"

"All the stuff the dudettes couldn't find earlier," Jude replied, placing the pile on the ground.

"Ugh," Jen muttered, "why were Sydni and I the only ones who found  _nothing_?"

Jude put her hands on Jen's shoulders in attempt to soothe her. "Whoa there—calm down, bra. You're being too hard on yourself. Just ease your mind."

Her shoulders unwound, all the excess stress unraveling. "I guess you have a point."

Remembering that she had something more important to say, Nikki cleared her throat to grab her friends' attention. All eyes were now on her.

"When Jonesy and I were looking through the at the security cameras, we saw Gwen doing something to Caitlin's shoes," she brought to their attention.

"Uh oh," Jude uttered.

"Uh oh is right," Sydni said, drawing attention to herself. "Isn't Caitlin supposed to go on stage  _now_?"

Their eyes widened. They rushed from backstage to the main area in hopes of warning Caitlin, but it was already too late. She stood on the runway, attempting to perfect a flirty pose and eyelash flutter until the heel of her shoe snapped in half.

She fell in a matter of seconds.

The judges' faces appearing unamused after she rushed off the stage, they announced her disqualification. This, coupled with the disqualification of another girl who made it to the final round, meant that  _Tricia_  would be given the money, power, and glory of winning.

Before the judges could officially crown Tricia as the victor, a thundering voice yelled, "Wait!"

It turned out to be Jen, who ran up to the judges with the rest of her friends to prove that Tricia, Heather, Gwen, Mandy, and Lindsay were behind the situations gone awry.

Wyatt dumped the pile of previously missing items on the judges' table. He said, "This whole pile consists of things stolen from the girls this morning."

"And this has all the evidence showing that Tricia and her demons—I mean  _friends—_ sabotaged the girls in this competition, including Caitlin," Nikki explained while handing over the flash drive that Jonesy found.

Soon after she spoke, the judges went backstage to examine the evidence given to them, mainly the surveillance videos on the flash drive. They then walked back to their table and whispered their decision to the host, who then stood on the runway to announce what it was they'd decided.

"After much discussion by the judges, Tricia Holmes is disqualified and—"

"That's outrageous!" Tricia hissed, cutting the host off. "My talent should outweigh what my friends got caught doing!" She proceeded to pout, cross her arms, and tap her stiletto-clad foot against the stage.

"Talent or not, you  _did_  have your friends sabotage all the competitors," the host stated, glaring at her.

"It was Heather's bright idea!" Now it was time to point fingers. (When Miss Shellfish Beach didn't get her way, there would be hell to pay.)

Heather could only display a look of both surprise and frustration when she heard that. Though she looked at them with contempt because of it, the gang simply laughed at all the jabs being thrown and taken by the wrong people.

Once Tricia was booted from the stage, only Caitlin and a girl by the name of Natalia remained. She was brought back because she too was proven innocent when the gang plead on Caitlin's behalf. (Technically, the other girls, who had all been subject to Heather and Tricia's hijinks should have been allowed to re-compete, but the people of Albatross and Finch insisted on only having the final two on stage due to so-called "time constraints.")

The host finally began reading the result of the contest. "The winner of Albatross and Finch's fifth-annual model search is none other than…"

The gang leaned in, eagerly awaiting the results.

"Come on, bra! You can win this," Jude whispered while Jen and Sydni crossed their fingers hard.

"Caitlin Cooke!"

Her eyes opened as wide as they possibly could. She shouted, "Me? Ohmygosh!" As soon as she stepped forward on the runway, she was handed a briefcase containing the prize money.

The host soon revealed that she could come back the next weekend for the photoshoot, which were to be featured in magazines, catalogues, and more. This would surely let the world (or at least Canada) know who she was.

The gang soon joined her on stage, hugging and congratulating her.

Jen cheered, "Way to go, Cait! I knew you'd win!"

"Great job, Caitlin. I'm really happy for you," Nikki said. For the second or third time that week, she dropped every ounce of sarcasm from her voice.

"Aw! Thanks so much, you guys!" Caitlin said, all smiles and giggles.

In the midst of their celebration, Jude's stomach began to growl. "Maybe we should get something to eat, 'cause my stomach's starting to speak to me." He rubbed his empty belly as he spoke.

Caitlin, looking at the rest of her friends, asked, "Who's up for pizza? My treat!"

"I'm always down for food when I don't have to pay for it," Jonesy joked.

"Always an opportunist, I see," Nikki said, emitting some laughs from Wyatt and Sydni.

"What can I say? There's no shame in my game."

"Obviously," Sydni quickly added.

Jonesy shrugged his shoulders and walked toward the exit with the rest of the gang, all of whom were fixated on the pizza Caitlin offered to buy.

* * *

Tonight was a test of Nikki's bravery. Tonight could either end in stinging rejection or much-wanted adoration. Tonight, in the comfort of Jonesy's dark room, with nothing providing light but the television screen, would bear the results of how Jonesy felt about her.

She blankly stared at the "blockbuster" action film they had agreed upon, uninterested in the cheesy romantic subplot she had been subjected to. She couldn't care less about someone else's relationship when she wanted to redefine her own.

Her eyes fixated upon Jonesy, flickering over his calm expression, his warm brown eyes, his inviting lips.

As she turned her "attention" to the screen, pesky butterflies filled her stomach and her palms soon became clammy. All these new feelings and realizations hit her at once—that she had never been in love with someone before and couldn't explain every reason why she loved him. She just  _felt_  it. All the words she wanted to say were on the edge of her tongue, waiting to slide off. Though she maintained an ounce of cynicism about the outcome, she, tossing her fears aside, finally felt the urge to say something, interrupting that crappy movie to do so.

"Jonesy, there's something I need to tell you. I'm not sure if I should've told you sooner or what but— _oh, fuck it_ —I love you. I'm  _in_  love with you." She exhaled deeply. "There, I said it."

She finally did it, putting herself and her feelings on the line. There was no turning back now. Consequently, her throat became her heart's newest home, her cheeks quickly became hot, and her ears longed to hear the same thing spoken in return.

He looked awestruck, his eyes filled with stars and surprise. His mouth curled into a goofy, boyish grin she couldn't help but adore. "You're in love with me?"

"Yes, dummy, don't make me say it again." After a long pause, she said, "So…"

He pulled her into an embrace, one arm around her waist and the other splayed across her back. "So, this is pretty great!"

As soon as he pulled away and looked at her, she raised an eyebrow.

"I wanted to tell you the same thing. I'm in love with you too, Nik." He blushed as his mind wandered back to being a fourteen year-old consumed by thoughts of her. He remembered how he had fallen for her at the gang's first homecoming during freshman year. He could vividly picture the way she fit her blindingly red homecoming dress—a dress she hated because her mom had picked it out, but a dress he loved because she wore it so well. Her black hair rested a couple inches past her shoulders then. She hated how long it was getting; he just thought she was cute when she was flustered. But his mind had panicked when he realized his eyes had clung to her far too long; he shouldn't have gotten tongue-tied over a friend. And that's when he knew. "I think I've always been in love with you. Just took me a while to figure it out."

"You're just trying to flatter me, Garcia."

"I'm really serious, Nik. I think it's always been you. I've always wanted you, babe, and now I'm just really glad you're mine." He lightly kissed her forehead. "I'm glad I told you this here and not at Geoff's party."

Her throat constricted. "You were going to tell me at the party?"

"Well, just the  _I love you_  part. Everything else was kinda unplanned."

"Jonesy,  _I_  wanted to tell you the same thing at the party."

"You did?"

"Well, I kept going back and forth about it, which is why I kissed you like that. I figured a kiss would say more than I could at the moment."

"Got that right. That was one of the hottest kisses  _ever_."

"You think so?"

"Mmhmm." He gazed at her, his eyes becoming half-lidded. He caressed her cheek and asked, "Think we could make out like that again?"

She nodded as her lips tingled in anticipation. "I think so."

Shortly after their lips met, they fell backwards onto his bed, lips moving against each other and hands gliding everywhere. They laughed and grinned the whole time.

She never thought she could feel so ecstatic and free, giving her heart a reason to stay inside her chest.

He, on the other hand, felt like he was finally in paradise. Simply by kissing her, he was living the good life,  _la dolce vita_. Even though he didn't get to share this moment with her on a tropical beach or bring her favorite roses to her, he finally had  _her_. The girl was what mattered, not the location or the props.

As his lips moved toward her neck, she moaned.

"God, I'm so into you, Nik. I love you so much," he said, his breath warm against her skin.

In between Jonesy's kisses, which were guaranteed to leave a mark, she sighed, "I love you too, Jonesy. Love you, too."


	5. Redux

"Congrats again, Cait," Benj said with a warm smile perched upon his face. "You deserved everything you won."

While sitting at the table instead of standing inside the Lemon, Caitlin felt like she was living in a dream as Benj spoke to her. Between the news of her success spreading around the mall and her friends' great support, life was indeed surreal. "Thanks, Benji-bear," she said, batting her eyelashes.

The girls, all sitting in close proximity, cringed at the pet name she gave him.

"So, since you're off work today, how about we meet up for lunch later?" Caitlin asked.

"That'd be great." He caressed her cheek before planting a kiss on it. Getting out of his seat, he decided to make his exit. "See you later."

She smiled and gently ran her fingertips across where he kissed her. "Bye, Benj."

Nikki, noting the way Benj touched her cheek, recalled Jonesy doing the same thing last night before they kissed for ages (despite only fifteen minutes truly passing). "I see you and 'Benji-bear' are really into each other," she said with air quotes.

Caitlin sighed. "He's so dreamy… He's just…" she trailed off, entering wonderland again.

"Don't tell me: He's  _The One_ ," Jen said.

Kicked out of wonderland too soon, she said, "Actually, I was going to say he's my kind of guy, but that too. I really do think he's  _The One_ —for real this time."

"Here's one time where I'm not annoyed by you calling a guy  _The One_. Amazing," Nikki deadpanned.

"Speaking of guys," Jen pried, "how did things go with Jonesy last night?" She figured something had gone down the night before, since he was so lively during breakfast this morning.

He'd been pouring his cereal with a dumb grin stuck on his face, doing the same thing after grabbing milk from the fridge.

When he took his seat at the kitchen table, he asked his siblings, "Life's pretty great, isn't it?" before eating a spoonful of Lucky Charms.

Robbie and Jen gave each other puzzled looks while Diego circled his index finger around the side of his head, wondering if Jonesy had a couple screws loose.

And the rest of the morning saw him in a bubbly mood, causing Jen to wonder what really happened.

Her cheeks flooding with heat, Nikki toyed with a lock of her hair and looked away. "Things couldn't have gone better. He told me he loves me—right after I told him, of course." Her mind still raced, even though she got her confession over with. She made eye contact with the girls. "I've never felt so strongly about someone before and to know he feels the same way is… really comforting."

Sydni offered a warm look. "That's great, Nikki. I'm so happy to hear that."

"Yay, Nikki!" squealed Caitlin, fighting the urge to get up and bear-hug her.

"I  _told you_  he would feel the same way about you," Jen said, succumbing to  _her_  urge of saying "I told you so."

Just as she finished talking, the guys approached the table and took their seats, with Jonesy glimmering as he gazed at Nikki.

This prompted Jude and Wyatt to look at the girls and hold a conversation with looks and gestures.

Wyatt shot the girls an expression asking, " _Did he tell her already?"_

Jen and Sydni nodded in response while Caitlin's grin said, " _Oh, definitely."_

Jonesy and Nikki glanced at the gang, at each other, and at the gang once more. They knew what the silent dialogue was about.

" _Yes,_  we're in love now," Jonesy broke the silence, not knowing that Nikki had already told the girls.

Jen said, "Oh,  _we know_."

"Well since you know, I guess you guys wouldn't mind this," he said before pulling Nikki into a brief but blazing kiss.

Once they broke apart, Wyatt asked, "Hey, Caitlin, where's Tricia? I thought she lost the bet you two had."

"She  _did,_  and she should be coming in the next few minutes."

Laughter erupted minutes later as Tricia, clad in a heinous lemon hat and matching apron, dragged her feet towards The Big Squeeze.

She frowned and smoothed out her messy hair, groaning. This has to be the most humiliating moment of my life."

Nikki smirked. "Karma's a bitch, ain't it?"

Tricia neglected her comment and attempted to open The Big Squeeze, but completely failed at it.

Even though her struggle was fun to watch, Caitlin pitied her—remembering her same struggle with The Lemon when she first worked there—and taught her how it's done. "Here, Tricia, this is how to open it," she said, before letting Tricia try it for herself.

After she opened it alone this time, Tricia already saw a long line forming. She frowned. "This week's going to be  _such_  hell."

Making matters worse, Heather walked by with Gwen, Mandy, and Lindsay in tow. Even though she tried to keep her composure, Heather couldn't help snickering at Tricia.

Ignoring the customer's complaints and instead focusing on Heather, her jaw dropped in shock. She couldn't believe Heather would add onto the already existing humiliation.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Heather said, "Sorry for laughing, Trish…" Another laugh followed. "Okay, not really."

Tricia shot her a dark look.

"If it makes you feel any better, we can go shopping later, y'know, once you get rid of that  _ridiculous_  lemon hat."

"But I'm stuck working here, like, all day!"

"Oh, well." Heather shrugged her shoulders. Before strutting away, she turned around and said, "I guess we'll see you whenever." With the switch of her hips, she was gone.

Feelings of abandonment settling in, she blinked once. "What the hell just happened?"

Placing her hand on her chin, Caitlin said, "This feels familiar," referring to the very day that  _she_  started working at The Big Squeeze and was abandoned by Tricia herself.

"Oh, shut it, Lemon Head!"

"Oh, the irony." Nikki snorted as the gang laughed.

 


End file.
